Shelter
by HEW
Summary: He was the only heir to his father's underworld empire and his father wasn't the sort of man you could walk away from without consequences, even if you were his son…especially if you were his son.
1. Chapter 1 - Dark Waters

**Generic Disclaimer** (aka whatever I gotta say to not get sued by some moronic lawyer who has nothing better to do with his life!): No copyright infringement intended. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I do not claim ownership of any of the characters, settings, world, etc. as they belong to their rightful and respective owners. No profit is being made by me. Blah, blah, blah.

**Glossary** (to the best of my understanding; spelling not guaranteed!)

Abeoji – Father

Anyeonghaseyo – hello, informal

Anyeonghashamnika – hello, formal

Aniyo – no

Araso – I understand, got it, I see

Balugongyang – ritual meal at Buddhist temple

Chaesamnida – sorry, formal

Hajima – don't do that

Jopok – organized crime unit

Kamsahamnida – thank you, formal

Kenchana – It's ok

Komawo – thank you, informal

Mianhe –sorry, informal

Ne – yes

Oma – Mom

Pabo – fool

Sunbae – senior (as in someone above you in school, work, etc.)

Sunim – title of a Buddhist monk or nun

Ya – Hey!

**A/N** - This story begins a few days after the "After Story" music videos.

**CHAPTER 1 – DARK WATERS**

Woo Bin leaned over the cold, metal rail and stared down into the oily, black water as it slowly pulsed beneath the bridge below him. _It seems almost to swallow up the lights from the surrounding buildings rather than reflect them_, he thought, and smiled wryly to himself. He had made a regular habit of coming to this spot over the past few years and more and more frequently over the past few months, whenever his thoughts became as dark as the water.

He knew Yi Jung would be upset if he knew, considering their history with this particular bridge, but as his best friend had been half-way around the world for the last few years, Woo Bin figured Yi Jung didn't get to have a say in the matter.

He smiled again as he thought of his friend, of all his friends. He had been so happy to be with them again – laughing, teasing, and playing around as they looked over their old school and remarked that nothing had changed. It hadn't been returning to the school itself that had been that important – it was returning to the shelter they each found in the others company, which had always been the one safe place where they could simply be themselves.

It had felt so good to have that back again for a little while – he really wanted to believe that nothing had changed. But now, two days later as things resumed their new state of normalcy, he knew that wasn't true.

Yi Jung was back from Sweden, true, but was as busy as ever with his pottery and now with his new "official" girlfriend, Ga Eul. Jun Pyo had also returned from abroad, but his life was consumed with the running of his family's empire and of course with Jan Di. As for Ji Hoo, none of them hardly saw him anymore as he completed his medical residency training. Everything had changed, every_one_ had changed – except for him.

He was happy for them, Yi Jung and Ga Eul especially, he really was, but their new relationship only served to highlight his recent breakup. Thinking about it that night, he had been surprised to realize how quickly his initial anger, disappointment and hurt over the sudden ending of that relationship had evaporated once he was with F4 again and had been startled as the truth of the matter suddenly appeared so clear and obvious it almost seemed to smack him in the face.

"Kindness," she had said. She was sick of his kindness. He recognized now that _she_ was being kind to put it like that, for the truth was that he had been smothering her. All of his constant little attentions and displays of affection he saw now had not been for her, but for himself as he used her to fill the void created by the absence of his friends.

He had clung to her with the desperation of a drowning man and had nearly drowned her himself. He never wanted that to happen again, hence this night's visit to the bridge.

Woo Bin thought again of that first night at the bridge with Yi Jung when he had told his friend of the shame he felt because of who and what his father was and what that made him in turn. It had been the only time they had ever talked of it.

Woo Bin knew that if he shared such deep thoughts and feelings that rarely with even his closest friend, it was because he so rarely admitted them even to himself. He had thought of his friends as his shelter – and they had sheltered him from much more than they might ever know.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Reason

**CHAPTER 2 – THE REASON**

Woo Bin sighed as he began pacing along the bridge, closing his jacket against the chill air of early spring. "What's the reason?" he had asked his girlfriend as she dumped him.

Now it was time to ask himself the same question. If he had closed his eyes to the real reason for his dependency on his friends, it was because deep down he knew the only answer such a question could lead to and it seemed pointless to even acknowledge what couldn't be changed.

With the singular exception of F4, everything in his life began and ended with his father, utterly defining his destiny. He had to confess he had mostly profited from his father's dominance. He enjoyed the power and privilege that came from his position as "Prince" Song of his father's criminal rule, especially when it had enabled him to protect the people he cared most about.

Yet, if he were to be totally honest with himself, then he had to also confess that those feelings he confided to Yi Jung so long ago had never left. Despite all of the advantages he had enjoyed, when he thought of simple, honest families, like Jan Di's, the foulness of his father's world burned in him.

It had only been the companionship of his F4 friends, the few who truly accepted him as his own person, that had allowed him to push away the shame and disgrace to smile and focus on the good things in life. After all, what other choice did he have?

And that was what it always came down to – the concrete wall at the end of all his thoughts and the reason he usually ignored them. He was the only heir to his father's underworld empire and his father wasn't the sort of man you could walk away from without consequences, even if you were his son…_especially_ if you were his son.

Looking back over the last twenty years, Woo Bin could see how he'd always danced around his eventual fate, spending his time on frivolous pursuits and hanging out with his friends. _Hiding_, he thought to himself and he leaned back against his car and looked up at the sky.

As long as he had been with F4 he felt he could cope with his life, enjoy the moment and pretend the future would never come. But without their presence in the past few years, there'd been little to forestall the direction he always knew his life would have to take. His friends had all moved on, filling their lives with purpose and meaning – and left him alone with his bleak truth.

For a while he had continued to try to conceal these feelings from himself as he carried on with life as he had done before, filling his days with shallow, pleasure seeking pursuits – the clubs, the parties, the girls, the cars - these had always served as an acceptable distraction when his friends had been the core of his life.

As time went on, however, without F4 as his foundation, his usual activities left him empty somehow, and drawn into his father's world even more. The wall he'd built around his searing conscience wore thinner and thinner until the very air seemed to grow thick with his shame and he was surprised that everyone around him didn't choke to death on it.

He had hoped with this reunion with F4 that things… well, that _he_ could go back to the way things were before but he knew now that it was impossible. For his friends this was a good thing, as time brought about changes for them that could only lead to happiness while he, Song Woo Bin, was being left behind in the dark.

Woo Bin grimaced and cast one last look, almost of resentment, at the inky water passing silently below him, climbed back into his bright yellow sports car, punched the accelerator in frustration and tore off into the black night.


	3. Chapter 3 - Enter the Lotus Flower

**CHAPTER 3 – ENTER THE LOTUS FLOWER**

The sharp morning light pierced Woo Bin's eyes as he woke to a heaviness in his head he could not quite account for and an incessant tapping that seemed to be right in his ear. Momentarily blinded by the light, he lifted his head only to feel the protest of stiff, cramped muscles. _Where was he?_

"Sunbae? Sunbae! Woo Bin Sunbae!" He heard his name and turned toward the sound. Apparently he was still in his car and knocking on his window was…Jan Di? Quickly, he opened the door and stepped out, a little unsteadily.

"Jan Di-yah? What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise, rubbing the stiffness from his neck.

"What am I doing here? I live here Woo Bin! What are you doing sleeping in your car?" she demanded in return.

"Aahh…I don't really remember." Jan Di raised an eyebrow at this. "I mean…I had kind of a rough night. I guess I just kept driving until I couldn't drive anymore."

"Strange place for you end up! I suppose you were looking for Ji Hoo but he's living at his house during his residency. Why on earth didn't you just go home?" Jan Di asked.

Seeing his countenance darken at the mention of his home, she quickly told him, "Never mind. You'd better come inside and have some tea. You look like you could use it." Still getting his bearings, Woo Bin looked back at his car, surveyed the street and then shrugging as if to tell himself, "why not?" turned to follow Jan Di into the building ahead of them.

The large, white, modern building didn't look much like a home to him until he remembered that this was the dormitory for the female medical students. "Is it all right if I come in?" he asked. He didn't want to get her in trouble for bringing a man into the dorms.

"Of course, Sunbae! We're only going into the common rooms. And besides, it's you."

He wasn't quite sure what she meant by that but followed her into the eating area and sat down. Jan Di brought him a cup of tea and sat down across from him. "So. Woo Bin. Do I need to be worried about where my Jun Pyo is this morning? I know you boys have been having a reunion of sorts. What exactly were you all doing that led to this 'rough night' of yours? Or…did you guys fight?" she asked with alarm creeping into her voice.

She had meant only to tease him but this new possibility was now starting to worry her. Woo Bin reached out and touched her hand. "Aniyo! Nothing like that! No need to worry, Jan Di-yah! I wasn't even with Jun Pyo last night so I'm sure he's fine."

Jan Di seemed to relax, then narrowed her eyes at him. "That would imply that if he _had_ been with you he wouldn't be fine? Tell me what's going on Woo Bin!"

Woo Bin dropped his head into his hands, pressing his palms into his eyes and sighed. "Nothing! Nothing happened last night and I'm perfectly all right!" he declared.

"Hmmmph," she responded with a tone of suspicion. "Drink your tea, it'll get cold."

Obediently, Woo Bin complied, glancing quickly at her and then around the room. "This was one of my father's buildings, I think," he said distractedly. Seeing Jan Di's blank look he reminded her, "We're in construction, you know." _Among other things_, he thought darkly.

Jan Di thought for the first time how little she knew about her friend and his family. Of the four "flowers" that made up the F4 he was certainly not the quietest but probably the least dramatic. He was always in the background, ready with a smile or a strong hand, whatever had been needed to keep the peace and make things right.

Between Jun Pyo's temper and his mother, her complicated relationship with Ji Hoo and Yi Jung's drinking and on-again/off-again relationship with Ga Eul, their lives had boasted more drama than the best of soap operas, so it was no wonder none of them had gone looking for further trouble that didn't clamor for attention. One of the side effects, she realized sadly, was that few of them ever really knew what was going on behind the jaunty attitude and hip hop slang of Woo Bin's. Well, she thought, she'd just have to see what she could do about that.

Woo Bin finished his tea and brought his attention back to her as she asked smilingly, "Sunbae, what are you doing today?"

"Hmmm? I…don't really know. I hadn't planned anything," he responded.

"Well, I don't have to go to the Hospital until six. Will you spend the day with me?"

"Me?" Woo Bin asked surprised. "Won't you want to spend the day with Jun Pyo?"

"Aniyo, he's got meetings all day today. Come on! In the spirit of reunions?"

Still feeling slightly raw and exposed from last night's exercise in honesty, Woo Bin wasn't sure he felt up to plastering his usual smile on again for a whole day, but since it was for Jan Di he knew he'd agree; he'd always had a soft spot for her.

At first it had just been because it was so amusing to see how riled up Jun Pyo got over her defiance, later, well, he supposed he felt obligated to her after seeing first hand all the heartache that Jun Pyo's mother had put her and her family through. He knew he was not to blame and that his father was not involved (although a few of his thugs may have been "rented out" to certain parties) but he also knew in the back of his mind that his father had employed similar tactics and worse against other families, innocent people who had been in his way.

He had wondered how many others had suffered like Jan Di's family because of his father and even though he could do nothing to stop it, at least he had been there to help Jan Di. In a way, those small acts of help he'd been able to offer had given him some dignity to cling to.

"A Yo!" he said, his grin returning, "What fool would say no?"

"Great!" Jan Di exclaimed, rising from the table. "Let me run upstairs and get my purse."

Woo Bin stood as well and looked around the room again while he waited for her, hoping that he would encounter no other reminders of his father that morning.


	4. Chapter 4 - Breathing Lessons

**CHAPTER 4 –BREATHING LESSONS**

Woo Bin started towards his car, taking his keys out when Jan Di said, "I think you've spent enough time in your car for now Sunbae! We can walk to where I want to take you this morning."

Woo Bin was surprised that she actually had someplace specific in mind and agreed that walking might indeed be better for him right now. They hadn't walked far when Woo Bin recognized the gates of the district's temple. Was this what Jan Di had in mind?

Jan Di noticed his questioning gaze and explained. "Ji Hoo Sunbae brought me here years ago, when I neened some peace. Since it's so close to the medical school, I started coming for morning meditations whenever I can. It's really helped me stay centered with all the craziness of school and the hospital."

Woo Bin gave her a small smile to show his assent and they entered in, bowing to the monk who came out to welcome them. "Annyeonghashimnika, Sunim!"

"Annyeonghaseyo Jan Di. You've brought a friend along this morning I see! Are you also a medical student?" he asked of WB.

Woo Bin's mind seemed to freeze as he tried to think of how to explain exactly what he was. "Aniyo, Sunim. I'm…um …I'm just a friend."

"You are welcome, 'just a friend.' That is certainly enough to be," he said with a smile as he turned and walked toward the meditation room.

Jan Di and Woo Bin followed, removing their shoes and settling themselves onto the cushions as several others filed into the room around them. WB noticed the ease with which JD slipped into her meditations.

With a kindly look toward WB, the monk gave him a guiding reminder. "…Get in touch with your breath. Feel the various sensations in your body. Note any thoughts and feelings that may be present. Let mindfulness touch this moment. Can you feel your breath? Can you perceive the dawning of each in-breath? Can you enjoy the feeling of the breath freely entering your body in this moment? Breathe in I smile, breathe out I calm my body. Dwelling in the present moment, it is a wonderful moment." _(Thich Nhat Hanh)_

Woo Bin drew in a breath deep to his belly and tried to let his eyes and mind unfocus…

An hour later, Woo Bin was trying to wake his limbs up as Jan Di was preparing to leave.

She turned to smile at Woo Bin and told him she'd wait for him outside. As he unfolded his surprisingly stiff legs he suddenly felt the weight of the monk's gaze upon him.

Looking up, he saw the monk regarding him with a solemn and thoughtful expression. "Is there anything troubling you, my young friend? Anything you'd like to talk about?"

Woo Bin's eyes widened a little at this and he responded perhaps a little too quickly, "Aniyo, kamsahamnida, Sunim! Kenchana , I don't need anything, really!"

The monk regarded him quietly for another moment as WB squirmed under his scrutiny. Finally he smiled, and putting a hand on WB's shoulder, recited to him, "Do not pursue the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. The past no longer is. The future has not yet come. Look deeply at life as it is. In the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in stability and freedom. We must be diligent today. To wait until tomorrow is too late. Death comes unexpectedly. How can we bargain with it? The sage calls a person who knows how to dwell in mindfulness night and day, 'one who knows the better way to live alone'." (_Bhadnekaratta Sutta)_

Woo Bin felt his heart suddenly still as the monk's words seemed to settle over his soul like a blanket, quieting the anxious undercurrent of his thoughts and opening the possibility of relief from his hidden anguish. "Kamsahamnida, Sunim" he replied with a bow and slowly went out to meet Jan Di.

Jan Di noticed Woo Bin's quiet, thoughtful state as he rejoined her at the gate. "Everything all right, Sunbae? What were you talking with the Sunim about?" she asked.

"Hmmm? Ah, ne, Jan Di-yah. He just gave me…something to think about."

Jan Di smiled, grabbed him by the arm and began walking back toward the street. "Well, what should we do now?"

Woo Bin looked at her with something of his normal grin. "I'm starving!" he said clutching his stomach dramatically. "My cheap host this morning only gave me tea for breakfast!"

"What?! Just for that, you're buying us both lunch, Sunbae!"

The rest of the day passed easily between them as Woo Bin vacillated from joking and teasing Jan Di to lapses into a quiet contemplation. Jan Di still wasn't sure what was going on with him and while he still seemed distracted as he had been that morning, she noticed he also seemed somehow steadier as well.

They returned to the dorms as the time approached for Jan Di to prepare for her shift at the hospital. "Komawo, Jan Di," Woo Bin smiled at her as he took his leave.

"Anytime, Woo Bin Sunbae! It was a nice day."

Woo Bin was about to slide into his car when Jan Di turned from the door and called out, "Ya! Song Woo Bin – promise me you'll sleep in a house tonight!"

Woo Bin laughed and returned, "Ne, I don't think my neck could take another night in the car!"

Once behind the wheel though, he was faced with the problem he hadn't been able to take on clearly the night before – where was he going to go? Somehow, he just didn't feel ready to return home, although he knew he couldn't avoid it forever. Luckily, fate solved the problem for him as his phone rang. "Yo! So Yi Jung!" he answered, "You better not have anybody in your guest room 'cause I'm coming over, Bro!"


	5. Chapter 5 - Surprises

**CHAPTER FIVE - SURPRISES**

Yi Jung yawned and stretched as he padded down the hallway to his guest room. He hadn't been surprised at Woo Bin's impromptu sleep over last night – his home had often provided a refuge for his best friend whenever he needed space from his father. Although they never actually talked about it, he always knew what Woo Bin was brooding over and tried to provide whatever would snap him out of it, whether that was time, distraction or simply a place to get away.

The one thing he wasn't willing to grant him during those periods was solitude. That episode at the bridge years before had scared Yi Jung enough to want to make sure he knew where his best friend was whenever he started getting moody. This was the first occurrence since Yi Jung had returned home and it suddenly occurred to him to wonder what Woo Bin had done while he was away.

Pushing open the door to Woo Bin's unofficial room, he called out, "Ya! Woo Bin-ah, time to get up already! Why don't we head over to…" Surprise stopped his words as Yi Jung realized that Woo Bin was already gone.

oOo

Jan Di was smiling to herself as she approached the temple the next morning. She wasn't sure if she had helped Woo Bin the day before (as she still didn't understand what had been wrong) but he had seemed happier when he left. She wasn't sure now if she should just let things be, or call him to check up on him or maybe call Yi Jung to check up on him, or maybe call Ga Eul to talk to Yi Jung about checking up on him…

She paused outside the meditation room to force herself to shelve these thoughts for now. When she felt her mind was clearer and more prepared for the day's meditation, she stepped into the room…and stopped short in surprise. Already seated ahead of her was Woo Bin!

"Woo Bin Sunbae?! What are you doing here?" she cried, a little too loudly.

Woo Bin gave her a mock glare and put his finger to his lips.

Jan Di clapped her hand over her mouth and blushed as she glanced around the room. Bowing to the monk, she whispered, "Chaesamnida, Sunim!" _So much for clearing my mind_, she thought, as her brain began whirling with curiosity…

An hour later, Jan Di waited impatiently outside the meditation room for Woo Bin. He smiled sheepishly at her as he emerged, anticipating the interrogation he was sure was coming.

"So…you came back?" was all she said.

"Ne," was all he replied.

"Do you want to get lunch?" she asked tentatively.

"Ummm…actually, the Sunim invited me to stay for Balugongyang, so…"

"Oh! Good. Well…see you tomorrow?" she asked wonderingly.

"For reals, yo!" he said, slipping back into his typical hip hop speak.

Jan Di rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile and turned to walk away. Just as quickly she swung around and called out, "Did you at least sleep indoors last night, Woo Bin-ah?"

"Ne, ne Oma!" he replied with a smirk. If they hadn't been in such a reverent place she would've hit him.

oOo

Chung Ho Sunim watched as Woo Bin and Jan Di walked out through the temple gates toward the outside world and their lives in it. They had been attending meditations at the temple together for several weeks. He had counseled some with Woo Bin and knew who he was now.

He still hadn't gotten to the bottom of what was disturbing the young man, but as time went on it seemed that whatever it was, was slowly drawing closer to the surface. If his soul had been a pond, churned up and muddied before, it was now becoming calmer and clearer, as if his troubles, like so much accumulated sediment, were gradually being dredged up and out.

As Woo Bin became more detached from his thoughts and emotions, the issues they stemmed from began to come into focus and he could examine them without feeling threatened or overwhelmed. He seemed to have taken on a new confidence, one that had nothing to do with money, status or power.

The Sunim smiled as he reflected on the subtle changes that had begun to take place in his young friend…and then frowned as he saw, for the third time that week, the low, black car trailing slowly behind the oblivious couple as they walked away from the temple. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he had a feeling it did not bode well.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Brick Wall

**CHAPTER SIX – THE BRICK WALL**

Woo Bin lay sprawled on his bed pondering a phrase from the book Chung Ho Sunim had recommended. "Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge." _(Digha Nikaya, 16) _ He wasn't sure exactly what that meant, or how to do it but he liked the idea of it.

He still didn't have a solution to the painful dichotomy between his soul and his destiny, but somehow he felt hopeful for the first time that there might be one…that perhaps he had more power than he had thought over who he was and who he became.

He sat up as a knock at his door was followed by the entrance of Chul Moo, one of his father's head henchmen. "Master Woo Bin, your father wishes to see you. Alone."

The smile slid off his face as his heart dropped into his stomach. The times he spent with his father were few and far between but he almost never saw his father alone and when he did it wasn't good.

"Araso," he nodded gravely to the servant as he stood to follow him, catching what he thought might be a glint of pity in the large man's eyes. It did nothing to assuage his sense of dread.

The bodyguards slid to the side of the door allowing Woo Bin to enter. His father's study was an accurate reflection of the man himself, colorless, hard, blunt. _Like concrete_, Woo Bin thought, remembering his own analogy from his reflections on the bridge. Indeed, the man before him was called by some "The Brick Wall," not to reference his physical stature but the solid fact that there was no getting past his will.

Woo Bin tried to swallow his dismay as he bowed low before his father, "Abeoji."

Woo Bin's father regarded him dispassionately for a minute before indicating for Woo Bin to stand at ease. "Song Woo Bin. How is your relationship with Gu Jun Pyo these days?" his father began.

"I…what?" Woo Bin asked in confusion. He hadn't really known what to expect from this meeting but his father's inquiry really seemed to be coming out of nowhere.

"You know that our company has long had a mutually beneficial connection with the Shin Hwa Corporation. And even though Madam Kang is no longer the controlling influence in that group, they remain a powerful entity and I expect you to do your part in maintaining that relationship."

"Ye, Abeoji," Woo Bin assented, still confused. "Now how do you expect to do that when you are seeing Gu Joon Pyo's fiancée behind his back!" his father's voice raised in anger at this accusation. "I have never interfered in any of your personal relationships before, Woo Bin, but I will not tolerate any behavior from you that jeopardizes what your grandfather and I have spent our lives to build!"

"Abeoji, wait – it's not like that! Jan Di and I are just friends!"

His father eyed him skeptically. "A man and a woman do not purposely meet in secret on a daily basis for over a month if they are 'just friends' Woo Bin. You will end this relationship now."

"Abeoji, please, just listen to me," Woo Bin said pleadingly, "I haven't been going to the temple to meet Jan Di! I was going for, well, it doesn't matter…" He knew it would be pointless to try to explain to his father why he had continued to return to the temple and what it had come to mean to him. His father could no more understand such a thing than a mountain could understand what it felt like to be the wind.

"Besides," he continued, "do I look like I have a death wish to you? Jun Pyo would certainly kill me if he thought I was trying to steal Jan Di from him. He's not as fond of me as he is of Ji Hoo – he only tried to have him expelled. And Jan Di would probably kill me if I ever tried anything anyway!"

"You are telling me the truth, Woo Bin?"

"Ye, Abeoji, I swear it!"

"Well, then…" His father grew silent for a moment, making Woo Bin more nervous than his shouting. If it had been anyone else, he would assume he was off the hook at this point, but with his father, you never knew what might be coming next.

"I've let you stand idle too long Woo Bin, if you've got time to waste on such foolishness as this. Even if what you say is true, we wouldn't want anyone important to get the wrong idea about things. You will not be going back to that place and I want you to have no further contact with the girl, just to be on the safe side. It is time you took on a more active role in the business, Woo Bin – in _all_ aspects of the business. You may leave now, but don't go far. I'll have further orders for you soon."

"Ye, Abeoji," Woo Bin said hoarsely as he bowed low again and walked out of the room in a daze. The words "truth" and "refuge" bounced hollowly around his brain, having suddenly lost all meaning to him.


	7. Chapter 7 - Questions

**CHAPTER SEVEN -QUESTIONS**

Jan Di stared at the phone in her hand and unconsciously chewed her lip as she tried to decide what to do or even if she ought to do anything at all. It had been nearly a week since Woo Bin had last shown up for their meditation session at the temple, and she was worried, although she couldn't say just why.

As amazed as she had been when he had first shown up at the temple on his own, she had been more surprised and strangely disappointed to find him absent several days ago. She had asked Jun Pyo last night if he had seen him lately and Jun Pyo had seem startled that _she_ would be asking about Woo Bin. He told her he hadn't been in contact with any of the F4 in the last week or so and as he seemed unaware of their meetings at the temple she decided to drop the subject.

Whatever Woo Bin's motivations were for visiting the temple, she knew they were personal and she figured it was his business to decide whom he'd share that with. If he hadn't mentioned it to Jun Pyo, then she wouldn't either. Although the time she had spent with Woo Bin over the last month or so was utterly innocent, she understood Jun Pyo's nature and did not want to incite his tendencies for jealousy and flying off the handle without having all the facts.

She had since tried twice to call Woo Bin only to find his phone switched off. She hoped her growing unease was a simple overreaction, after all Woo Bin was a grown man and could choose to spend his time how he wished. Goodness knew he could take care of himself, so why should she feel worried?

Restlessly, she paced around her room a few more times before heading out the door in the direction of the temple. "Jan Di? What are you doing here at this time?" Chung Ho Sunim asked, quite surprised to see her.

"Chaesamnida, Sunim. It's about Woo Bin. I can't get a hold of him and there's probably no reason to, but I'm starting to worry. I don't suppose he's said anything to you that might give us a clue where he's gone?"

The Sunim was quiet for a moment. "Anyio, Jan Di, I cannot think of anything. Although..." "Ye?" "It's nothing," he said, "but I did notice several times last week that there was a black car that seemed to follow the two of you as you left the temple. Maybe it was nothing, but considering the company you keep my dear, maybe it was something."

"Kamsahamnida, Sunim! I've got to go!" Her initial reaction to the Sunim's words was to suspect Jun Pyo's mother, although after taking a moment for rational thought she knew this couldn't be the case. The Gu family had finally managed to put Madam Kang in her place and they maintained a cold, if not always quiet, truce. Besides that wouldn't explain Woo Bin's seeming disappearance.

She knew if Jun Pyo had any suspicions or concerns about the two of them she would've heard something about it by now. Sneaky he could be at times, but he was terribly clumsy at it. Hiding his thoughts and feelings was something he had only ever managed around his mother. No, if something was going on it was related to the people in Woo Bin's life, not hers. She winced as she realized that after more than a month of getting to know him better, she still didn't really know who that would be. But she knew someone who did…

"Ga Eul-ah? Where are you right now, are you with Yi Jung? Good, you two stay right there, I'll be over shortly. Why? I'll tell you soon – just wait for me there OK?" Jan Di hung up the phone as she grabbed a taxi, a rare extravagance for her but justified by the circumstances she felt.

Twenty minutes later she was getting out in front of Yi Jung's pottery studio. She had barely paid the driver before Ga Eul was at her side, her face lined with worry. "Jan Di-yah? What is it? What's wrong? Did Jun Pyo do something stupid? Did you guys fight? Or did something happen at school? Or with Ji Hoo? What happened?"

Yi Jung came up behind her and wrapped his arm around Ga Eul's shoulders. "Shush," he told her, "Jan Di, come inside," he invited, smiling.

Once they were seated comfortably, with Ga Eul and Yi Jung looking expectantly at her, Jan Di drew a deep breath and began. "Sunbae, do you know where Woo Bin is?" she asked Yi Jung.

"Woo Bin?" he responded with a shocked tone. This was not a question he had ever expected to hear from Jan Di, of all people. "Well, he stayed here for a few nights, maybe a month or so ago. We've talked on the phone a few times – he declined to go out dancing with Ga Eul and me…other than that, I couldn't say. Why? What's going on, Jan Di?"

Jan Di looked thoughtful as she replied, "Just…well, it may be nothing but…would you try calling him, Sunbae, right now?"

Yi Jung glanced at Ga Eul, the two of them obviously still completely confused. "All right, Jan Di-yah, but then you better explain what this is all about." He picked up the phone and dialed, waited and…"That's not right! It says this number is no longer in service? How can that be?"


	8. Chapter 8 - Found and Lost

**CHAPTER EIGHT – FOUND AND LOST**

Woo Bin toyed with the glass in his hand, rolling its contents around with no intention of actually drinking it. A large hand swept down out of the dark, smoky atmosphere of the club's private room and slapped him on the back, jarring him from his reverie. "You did well today, Young Master, congratulations. Your father will be pleased."

"Komawo," Woo Bin returned, trying not to grimace too much at this praise. He and his personal detail of men had returned from a successful meeting negotiating terms to launder money for a smaller gang of drug dealers from Thailand. His father had wasted no time in pulling Woo Bin in from the fringes of his work. This had not been a particularly difficult or dangerous assignment, but one that profited his father and landed Woo Bin squarely in the thick of things.

It had barely been a week since the meeting with his father but Woo Bin already felt like a different person living a world apart from everyone else. In that time he had decided that one reason people called it the "underworld" was because what you really were and how you really felt had to be constantly concealed under a lie of what you were supposed to be.

Under the surface appearance of filial obedience to his father, his feelings had been a maelstrom, swinging wildly from outrage, shame and a sense of panic that he was being buried alive to an explosive rage at his father, himself, and his fate to a numb acceptance.

He had been fighting to regain his belief in the lie he had once told Yi Jung – that it didn't matter to him what anyone said or thought about him and the path he had to take. The problem was what _he_ thought about it now, and despite his deliberate efforts to speak and act with as much cool detachment as he could summon, he could feel his grip slipping.

Teachings from the Sunim swum around and around in his thoughts, "Poverty with dignity is better than wealth based on shame…Don't escape when you have a problem because there is always a way to solve it… By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom. By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind." _(The Sutra of Hui Neng)_ - the new ideas pricking at his raw conscience until he wanted to scream. If he couldn't find a way to silence his internal conflict soon he was afraid he would snap and become a danger to himself and others.

He had taken his father's orders not to return to the temple or have contact with Jan Di one step further by attempting to silently back away from all his closest friends – the only ones who mattered were the ones he was afraid might get hurt. He had replaced his cell phone without entering anyone's digits – not that he didn't have them all memorized anyway. It might only be a small step but it was a beginning.

Woo Bin sighed and returned his attention to rolling his glass and trying to let his mind go blank. Twenty minutes later, Woo Bin jerked his head up as a familiar voice pierced his consciousness. "I know he's in there, let me in! Look, you know me, what's the problem here?" Woo Bin nodded to the guard at the door who let an irate Yi Jung past.

Woo Bin sighed and stood up. He had expected Yi Jung to be the first to come looking for him but he'd hoped he wouldn't have to deal with him quite so soon. He motioned to Yi Jung to join him and retook his seat, still not daring to look him in the eyes.

Yi Jung just stood, glowering down at him. "What the heck, Woo Bin?! What is going on with you? What happened to your phone and why wouldn't Kang Dae let me in? Why did I have to hear from Jan Di that something was wrong?!"

That last bit surprised him and he finally looked up at Yi Jung, "What do you mean?"

"You heard me! Do you know how many places I've been to trying to track you down? I never thought I'd find you at your father's club, you always hated this place!" Yi Jung exclaimed.

Woo Bin winced, glancing around as all his men were giving Yi Jung their undivided attention. "Shhh! Keep your voice down!" he pleaded.

"Not until you give me an explanation Song Woo Bin!"

Some of his men were beginning to stand up, taking a posture that indicated they were ready for anything. Woo Bin darted up, grabbed Yi Jung by the wrist and started moving toward the door. Yi Jung pulled away, "Ya! I'm not leaving!" he protested.

"I can't talk here," Woo Bin muttered back through clenched teeth. They approached the back door that let out onto the alley way but Chul Moo stepped in to bar their way. "Master Woo Bin, you know your father wanted you to stay within my sight until you were safely returned home."

Woo Bin responded with a look so hard and fierce that the older man stepped back slightly in surprise. "Just don't disappear again," he said quietly, moving aside. "You know he'll come down on us if we return without you."

"Araso. Komawo, Chul Moo," Woo Bin replied, his expression softening. Yi Jung looked alarmed and somewhat confused at this exchange and followed his friend out into the poorly lit alley behind the club.

They stood on opposite sides of the narrow alley, neither quite sure where to start now. "So, what did you mean about Jan Di?" Woo Bin began.

Yi Jung's earlier glare was replaced with a look of confusion and concern as he thoughtfully regarded his friend. "She came over tonight to ask about you…" he started, absently gesturing to the car across the street, where Jan Di sat nervously waiting.

Woo Bin's eyes grew wide with worry as he realized the potentially problematic situation his well-meaning friend had created by bringing Jan Di. "You idiot! What were you thinking bringing her with you to a place like this!" Woo Bin exploded at his friend.

"Ya! You know how stubborn she is! She wouldn't let me leave her behind. She was really worried about you and so am I, pabo!" Yi Jung shot back.

Woo Bin could see that Yi Jung was stung by his words, after all, he had never lost his temper with any of the F4 before. No matter how stupid they were acting, Woo Bin had always been the patient one. Now however, Yi Jung was the only safe outlet for the flood of frustration, anger and despair he could no longer contain and all his worst fears came pouring out as an accusation.

"Wae? What did you think, Yi Jung? Did you think we could just go on forever playing around with our lives, just the same as it's always been? You, of all people, knew the way things were going to have to be for me eventually! What place did you think there would be for you then? Do you know how many friends my father has, Yi Jung? None! There's no room for it in our world!"


	9. Chapter 9 - A Future Black as Ink

**CHAPTER NINE – A FUTURE BLACK AS INK**

Despite her limited view from across the street, Jan Di could see that things were getting heated between the two friends. She had promised Yi Jung she'd stay locked in the car considering the rough neighborhood they were in, but she decided the situation warranted her interference.

Even when she had been secretly intimidated by their presence or behavior in times past, she had never backed down to any of the boys before and she wasn't about to start now.

Slamming the car door behind her, she marched up to the boys yelling, "Ya! Hajima! What's wrong with you two?"

"Jan Di-yah," Woo Bin hissed, glancing over his shoulder. "Get back in the car! You can't be seen here!"

"Wae? We just wanted to make sure you were ok, Woo Bin, after the way you seemed to disappear. And the Sunim said-"

"I don't want to hear anything more from the Sunim!" Woo Bin shouted, not yet finished with his tantrum.

Jan Di stepped back, shocked at his outburst. She had heard of Woo Bin's terrible rage over Yi Jung's broken hand and supposed she could hardly blame him in that instance, but still, _she_ had never seen him angry like this and it frightened her. Not for herself, but for him.

Noting her startled reaction, Woo Bin's frustration seemed to boil over at her, "What do you want me from me, Jan Di? You know what I am! You knew what I was when we came to save you from those guys who kidnapped you! You knew who I belonged to when I sent those little rats in Macau running for cover! Don't try to make me feel guilty for being what I am! What else can you expect from someone like me!"

"I don't know so much about _what_ you think you are, Woo Bin," Jan Di responded softly. "But I know _who_ you are – you've always been kind, steady, rational, patient. The peacemaker, the protector, the friend – that's who you are Woo Bin-ah."

Jan Di's kind words only seemed to torture Woo Bin more as, with an anguished yell, he ripped off his jacket as if it were trying to smother him, and hurled it violently to the ground. Then, leaning his arms and head into the brick wall of the alley way he suddenly sagged against it with a groan of defeat.

As she reached out to comfort him, Jan Di heard Yi Jung suck in his breath in shock, and looking closely, her own heart stopped in horror as the orange glow of the street lamp illuminated Woo Bin's bare arm…and the newly inked black symbol marring his still raw, pink skin.

"Woo…Woo Bin-ah…" Jan Di stammered. "Is that what I…what is that, Sunbae?" she asked weakly, knowing but dreading the answer.

Woo Bin looked up at her, momentarily confused, until he registered where her eyes were fastened. He sighed, long and deep, as he pushed himself away from the wall to face her. "It's the mark of my 'family,'" he said, quieter now. "Of the Il Shim Hwe jopok. To wear it is a requirement of all members, to show their loyalty and identify themselves to others. You don't have to get it until you're 18 but as I also represent a prominent and wealthy business, my father thought it best if we waited until I was done with school. And I've found one reason or another for putting it off since then."

He paused. "You know what this means, don't you, Geum Jan Di? It means I can never get out now. I never really considered that to be an option until recently…because of you and the Sunim at the temple. But this…brands me. Marks my identity and destiny forever. Once you're inked, you're in till you die." Woo Bin looked sadly at Yi Jung, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yo, my bro. Mianhe. You should go. Get her out of here." He turned and walked back into the club leaving Yi Jung and Jan Di frozen in shock.

**A/N** – to anyone feeling confused by such an apparent overreaction to a tattoo (by American sensibilities anyway), I suggest the article about Korean perceptions of tattoos at /stories/marked-in-korea/


	10. Chapter 10 - Cat and Mouse

**CHAPTER TEN – CAT AND MOUSE**

Jun Pyo frowned and drummed his fingers on the desk in front of him. Of all the F4, Jun Pyo was the least surprised at the news Jan Di and Yi Jung brought of Woo Bin. Having a destiny you couldn't escape was something he was intimately familiar with and due to the relationship between the two companies, he was more familiar with the true nature of Song Enterprises than the others.

It was Woo Bin's reaction that concerned him the most. He knew Woo Bin needed his friends and feared for what would happen to him if he cut them out of his life. None of them had fully understood what happened and since Woo Bin had made himself inaccessible, Jun Pyo had decided to do a little spying of his own. What his major domo reported back after his meeting with Chul Moo , had almost made him laugh. At least it now made sense why Woo Bin had been upset by Jan Di's presence outside the club. The problem now was how to get in touch with Woo Bin in a way that he couldn't avoid and his father would not be suspicious of…

Woo Bin tugged at his tie as he sat in the back seat of the limo nervously anticipating his destination. His father had ordered him to attend Jun Pyo and Jan Di's engagement party as an official representative of Song Enterprises to help maintain relations between their two companies, but Woo Bin recognized a bit of F4 manipulation when he saw it.

He could put on a good show and pretend everything was fine, but he was afraid of what would happen when the rest of F4 got him alone, which he knew they would do somehow. At least there was no way this could be a simple affair which meant there would be crowds of people present. Maybe he could still slip away unnoticed after putting in an appearance…

Woo Bin scanned the room as he entered, and the faces of his friends seemed to zoom into focus. How did they all happen to be looking at him at once? he wondered, trying to swallow his anxiety. There was Yi Jung, still a gleam of anger in his eyes, Ji Hoo's impassive countenance as unreadable as always, confusion from Ga Eul, a sympathy he could not bear to look at in Jan Di's face and Jun Pyo – smirking! He seemed to be acutely aware of Woo Bin's discomfort and almost laughing at him!

At this, Woo Bin recovered his nerve, walked straight up to Jun Pyo and, slapping him on the back, wished him an enthusiastic congratulations. As he turned away, Jun Pyo, still smiling, caught his elbow firmly and whispered, "Enjoy the party, but don't expect to be leaving early!"

After several hours of polite small talk with the rest of the guests, the strain was starting to wear him down. Woo Bin felt mentally exhausted from smiling and chatting while he and his friends glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, all the while circling each other in an almost imperceptible game of cat and mouse. Whatever confrontation was coming, Woo Bin was ready to get it over with just so he could drop the smile!

When he felt an arm drop lightly but firmly across his shoulders, they almost drooped in relief. His unconscious expectation of seeing Yi Jung's face led him to do a double take at Ji Hoo's serene smile. "Juhgiyo," Ji Hoo interrupted, excusing Woo Bin from the mindless conversation with some elite guest. "Jun Pyo needs a short meeting with his groomsmen," he smiled as he led Woo Bin away.

In the familiar territory of Jun Pyo's suite of rooms, Woo Bin unconsciously relaxed somewhat. Jun Pyo was leisurely thumbing through a magazine while Yi Jung stood with his back toward him, looking out the window. Woo Bin stood awkwardly for a moment before Jun Pyo looked up and said, "It seems the elephant has finally joined us!"

This odd comment seemed to break the tension as no one could understand what he was talking about. Seeing the quizzical expressions of his friends he asked, "Isn't that the right animal? There's some saying about an elephant in the room, right?"

Ji Hoo chuckled as he and Woo Bin sat down. As the most neutral party, Ji Hoo took the lead in addressing the "elephant." "So Woo Bin-ah, what can we do to help you?"

Biting back his first, instinctive, defensive remark and accepting that it was pointless to fight or hide the truth that was already understood by his only close friends, Woo Bin answered, "Thanks guys, but there really is nothing to be done. My life is what it is – what it was always meant to be."

"And I was meant to marry that crazy monkey!" Jun Pyo retorted. "But you guys didn't let it happen! There is no 'meant to be' Woo Bin – only what you want to be. And it's obvious you don't want to be like your father. So the answer's simple! We just have to break you out of the mob!" Jun Pyo beamed as if he had just solved all the world's problems.

As Woo Bin's struggle with this thought played across his face, Ji Hoo spoke again. "I think I know someone who can help you…at least, Chung Ho Sunim knows someone."

"You know the Sunim?" Woo Bin asked, surprised. "Of course! I'm the one who took Jan Di to the temple to begin with!" Ji Hoo smiled. "His name is Kwon Young Sool. He's a police officer in Gangnam."

Woo Bin's posture tensed at the mention of police. "The Sunim has known him for many years – he says he's a good man," Ji Hoo rushed to reassure him.

"The Sunim knows me too – so knowing the Sunim is hardly a guarantee of goodness!"

At this, Yi Jung finally spoke up. "Shut it, Woo Bin! I thought we'd never have to have this discussion again!" Woo Bin looked away, embarrassed and Yi Jung's voice lost its edge. "What's on your arm doesn't make you what you are Woo Bin – that comes from what's in your heart."

There was silence for a moment as Woo Bin looked away and cleared his throat. "So…what could this Kwon fellow possibly do to help me?" Woo Bin finally asked.

"Well, I'm not entirely certain," Ji Hoo admitted. "But it's worth talking to him isn't it?"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Woo Bin asked, frustrated. "My father's forbidden me to return to the temple and he has Chul Moo tag along with me wherever I go these days! If he found out I was meeting with a cop, I'd be as good as dead!"

His three friends paused for a moment as the seriousness of the situation finally sunk in for them. "We'll figure something out," Yi Jung said quietly but firmly. "We have to."

"Ya, are we F4 or not?!" Jun Pyo asked. "Of course, we'll figure something out!"


	11. Chapter 11 - Hope

CHAPTER 11 – HOPE

Kwon Young Sool looked around at the opulent surroundings of Yoon Ji Hoo's sitting room, wondering again what on earth he was doing there. The Sunim had approached him a week ago, saying he felt that he was the right person to help out a young friend of his. Young Sool had been willing to listen, thinking perhaps it was some youngster who needed a little straightening out, a little fatherly mentoring perhaps. When the Sunim finished his story, Young Sool was seriously beginning to question his old friend's sanity.

"Do I look like Superman to you?!" he asked, astonished. "These are powerful and dangerous people to be involved with! How do you know you can trust this young man? What exactly is it you think I can do for him anyway? And why should I?" he demanded.

"Perhaps," Chung Ho replied slowly, "it is also a matter of what _he_ can do for _you._ Woo Bin is not his father. He has a good heart. You do too. He needs a way of fighting against the evil of the world he is trapped in. I am sure the police also could use some assistance in their fight against the same evil."

Young Sool raised an eyebrow as he realized what the monk was suggesting. He sat back with a "humph" as he mulled the idea over. After some minutes he asked how he was supposed to get in touch with Woo Bin.

"We have a mutual acquaintance. Someone who is above suspicion and outside of his father's interests. He will arrange a time and place where the two of you can safely meet to talk."

The meeting was arranged with the Sunim as go-between, eliminating any phone records which could link the parties involved. And a week later, here he was, still wondering how on earth this could possibly work out.

Young Sool set his tea down as Ji Hoo rose to admit their visitors. All of F4 would be coming, under the guise of wedding preparations, and Jun Pyo's major domo would be on hand to occupy Woo Bin's new shadow, Chul Moo. Young Sool stood as well, as the F4 entered the room. While all four men were handsome and carried an air of sophistication and wealth more noticeable to others than to themselves, Young Sool was immediately able to recognize Woo Bin. Something about the wariness of his eyes, the tension of his posture – ready for fight or flight, and the slight lift to the chin that spoke of a pride that held back from either, was extremely familiar to Young Sool. He saw it often in the men he worked with. If he had looked in a mirror, he would have seen it in himself.

"The Sunim has explained your situation to me," he began. "I think we have an idea that will be beneficial to us both."

"You can get me out of the jopok?" Woo Bin asked, the disbelief in his voice still tinged with hope.

"Well, in a way. I'd like you to work for me. As an informant."

Woo Bin's hopes fell. "A snitch?!" he asked with disdain, as the twisted loyalties imbedded from infancy showed their hold.

"Think about it," Young Sool asked. "Leaving the jopok straight out would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. What kind of future would you have if you did? As an informer, you'll be able to help us fight the kind of damage that your father's dealings inflict on others. You won't be free in the way you might have hoped for, but you'll be in a unique position to help others, to bring about justice, maybe even to save lives!"

Woo Bin sat back in silence as he considered the lives closer to home that could be affected. Chul Moo for one, and many of the men who worked under his father had been like uncles to him, had helped raise him as a child. They had certainly been there for him in ways his father never had. Could he live with himself if he was the one to bring down trouble on them? And his father…he couldn't truly say he had any love for the man, but was that any excuse for betraying him outright?

His grandfather had been the one to start the "enterprises" his fortune was built on almost 60 years ago. The war had brought devastation and loss for so many, but out of that chaos, a man canny enough -and unscrupulous enough- could thrive. His father had inherited his grandfather's seedy businesses and concealed them under a veneer of legality, skyrocketing their social standing along with their wealth. Woo Bin owed everything he had and everything he was to these men, no matter how he felt about what they did. And it was this thought that made up his mind. Perhaps he did owe everything he was to his father – and didn't he hate who he was now?

"All right. I'll do it. What exactly do you want me to do?"

Young Sool released his pent up breath. "We'll set up a way for you to contact me with information. When you have details of activity we can act on, you let me know."

"Any particular…activities?" Woo Bin asked, wondering if this man had any idea of the extent of his father's dealings.

"Any of it – the fraud and money laundering get washed through so many layers of paper work and legal loopholes it's been impossible for us to pin anything down. Any insider information that can connect the dots will help us get the proof we need to prosecute. The drug smuggling, well, we've been able to make some busts on the smaller deals, but the closer we can get to the major players, the more we can do."

"Right. Well, I'll do what I can. What about the pettier stuff – extortion, assault, kidnapping…"

"I'll take whatever you can give me. If we can use it, we will."

Woo Bin looked up and colored slightly as he realized the rest of F4 were staring at him. They weren't shocked exactly, but hearing him speak so plainly and with so much familiarity about such heinous crimes had brought home just how real this was.

Seeking to reassure him of their support, Yi Jung wrapped an arm around his shoulders and smiled. "Ya, you know we're here for you, no matter what! We'll do whatever we can to help you!"

"What you can do to help," Young Sool interrupted, "is stay as far out of this as you can. The less you know, the safer it will be for all of you, including Woo Bin."

Protests came from all three men at once until Woo Bin broke in. "Ya! He's right! Doing this will put my life on the line every day. But at least I'll be able to live with myself again. The last thing I need is to worry about what might happen to any of you if you come to know more than you should."

"We're not letting you shut us out again, Woo Bin!" Yi Jung insisted sternly.

"No. I'll never do that again, bro! I know I can't make it through this without my best friends! F4 is 'my truth' and 'my refuge.' You always will be."

While they may not have understood the significance of his reference*, his friends relaxed, knowing that whatever else may be in jeopardy, their friendship was not.

Young Sool looked on with respect and admiration for all of them. Working in Gangnam as long as he had, he had experienced his fair share of run-ins with spoiled, wealthy brats who felt they were above the law. He had had his doubts that "Prince Song" would be willing or able to be of any true assistance working against his father, but he was now filled with hope that the world might not be quite going to hell in a hand-basket, just yet.

_(* - see the beginning of Chapter 6)_


	12. Chapter 12 - Shock and Awe

CHAPTER 12 – SHOCK AND AWE

Woo Bin's fingers flew over the keyboard in the darkened room, a sigh escaping at the thought of the long night ahead of him. He'd already put in a long day at the office, engaged in the legal as well as the not-so-legal aspects of Song Enterprises, and it would be a good while yet before he could retreat to the comfort of his bed.

But he was getting used to that.

He could hardly believe that three months had passed since he began his undercover work for the police, but what really surprised him was how routine it had become to juggle all these roles, all the different faces he had to wear now.

By day he attended to the legitimate business of the company, anything from signing contracts with the large companies that hired them for major construction projects, to meeting with stockholders, to overseeing job sites.

Interspersed between such mundane duties, there were bribes to be paid to the people with the right permits, the cover ups of injured workers to be carried out by cash or by threat, the needs of particular "clients" – mostly drug dealers – to be attended to.

When his father had told him he wanted Woo Bin to be involved in all aspects of the business, he meant it. But at night, after leaving his duties under the guise of partying or hanging out with F4, he slipped back into the offices, to gather the evidence of what had transpired during the day and transmit it to his contact, Kwon Young Sool.

He had been fairly successful thus far. His position in both the business and the jopok afforded him access to information that no one else could have obtained. He had had to be careful how and when he shared this with the police – too many busts too quickly would be sure to create suspicion that might eventually swing towards him – but they had managed to start making some progress at frustrating his father's work without letting it look like anything more than a run of bad luck.

Recently, he had begun taking a little more risk, sneaking into his father's own office, to access the Brick Wall's personal computer. It was the most direct route for him to begin peeling back the digital layers of false records, shell companies, and dead ends that had for so long protected the money laundering which was the core of Song Enterprises' wealth, enabling their more peripheral activities.

He had found as he had begun delving into the cybernetic defense systems that held his world together, that this was an area he was surprisingly talented at. He seemed to have an instinct with computer systems that he might never have discovered if he'd continued to spend all his time clubbing and playing around. His nighttime hacks were actually the most fun he had these days.

Woo Bin squinted at his watch in the dim light of the monitor as he allowed himself a long yawn. _Three AM? Time to call it a night._ He rubbed his eyes and began to cover up his digital tracks before closing out for the night, when he stumbled across an intriguing new file, one buried so deeply he wondered how even his father accessed it.

He decided to forestall his craving for sleep for just one more look. As he swiftly glanced over the data it contained, his exhaustion washed away in a flood of adrenaline. His breath felt stuck in his chest as though he had been physically stunned. Surely, he was not seeing what he thought he was seeing. Surely, not even his father could do such a thing.

Woo Bin read the documents more carefully, making sure that he had not simply misunderstood as a result of fatigue. Then he scanned them a third time, memorizing as much information as he could. Gingerly, he closed out of the system and shut it down. He slipped out to his own office, where he kept a cot and a change of clothes on hand just for nights like this. Woo Bin sat down on the cot, still shaking slightly from shock.

He knew he would get no sleep this night.

oOo

A/N – Hey, look at that! I managed an update! Yay, me! I promise the next one won't be far off!


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